1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to aerial delivery devices and more specifically to guided aerial delivery devices which may be used to deliver payload and supplies to an intended target.
2. Description of Related Art
Aerial delivery devices are often used in the military to deliver vital equipment and supplies from flying planes to specific ground targets. Typically a plane will fly overhead of the intended ground target and the supplies or equipment will be dropped from the plane with an attached parachute which opens and ensures a safe landing of the supplies and equipment. The supplies once deployed are subject to drift due to wind and may also encounter enemy fire causing failure of delivery. The accuracy and success of delivery can sometimes be increased by taking into consideration the effects of airplane and wind velocity vectors, but changes in wind direction often cause deliveries to drift off into unintended areas and enemy hands. To further increase the accuracy of aerial deliveries airplanes may fly at lower altitudes so that the potential for drift is reduced—this increases the risk of exposure to enemy anti-aircraft fire. What is needed in the art is an aerial delivery device that provides accurate delivery of the payload from a high altitude while remaining in the air for a reduced amount of time. What is needed is a device that provides delivery of a payload with a reduced time in the air, allowing the deployment of a recovery parachute at high enough altitude to provide a soft landing for the payload.
It is therefore, to the effective resolution of these problems and shortcomings that the present invention is directed.